The most promising and interesting theme of this novel is the undaunted spirit of the Hawaiian people. Through the eyes of one particular family, the time frame is the 1930's through World War II, devastating the closely-knit community, many native Hawaiian sons lost in combat. The story moves back and forth: from Hawaii to the New Orleans jazz scene, Shanghai to Paris, and back. In the course of events, one heartbreaking message is the truly ignoble and inhumane use of euphemistically named "comfort women" by Japanese soldiers. These innocent women were harvested from city streets and villages to service their captors, their tragic borderline existence only recently widely discussed and documented for readers. Released after the war, their original numbers decimated, they became "ghost women", emaciated and most permanently physically and psychologically damaged.

The central theme, however, is the displaced love of Keo and Sunny. A gifted musician, Keo follows his muse and Sunny becomes his most ardent and loyal fan. As Keo disappears into his music, he barely remarks Sunny's search for her own affirmation in the search for her long-lost sister. Tragically parted by the war, Keo and Sunny endure years of separation as each is subjected to horrendous experiences as Japanese captives, each clinging to the memory of the other. But I had no clear sense of Sunny's personality from the beginning of her reciprocated attraction to Keo. Later, when Keo is agonizing over her whereabouts, a more particular sense of what he so desperately misses, other than adoration, would have helped me appreciate Sunny's qualities. The story changes locations frequently, and I found myself wanting more details of Keo's family and their ongoing struggles, how their ties to one another sustain them through loss and separation. I suspect the most potent material rests within the heart of this family.

Some editorial cuts may have better centered the story. Perhaps Davenport is intending to illustrate the rambling nature of Keo's search, his frustration and overwhelming loneliness, but I feel the novel loses its original vital focus. There are some hectoring passages at the end of the book on the issue of statehood, but my sympathies were already engaged. While certainly an entertaining and informative read, the novel would resonate more fully with fewer geographic leaps and already acknowledged social injustices added to the forum. An emphasis on the love story and tragic circumstances surrounding the lovers, especially the atrocity of "comfort women", was certainly sufficient to hold my interest.

There are not many books that move me to tears, but this one did. Several days after finishing this book, I am still affected by it. It is basically a love story about two people born in the Hawaiin islands. The man (Keo) is destined to become a great jazz player, and he falls in love with a Korean-Hawaiin woman (Sunny) who is haunted by her own issues. They end up going to Europe to pursue Keo's jazz career and end up parting as Sunny begins a search for her long-lost sister. When she leaves, she does it without actually telling Keo she is going. He finds out by waking up and finding her gone with a note. Keo begins his life-long search for his one true love. But unbelievably they both end up as captives during World War II. But life does go on after that, and they are both released from a hell you would not believe. I do not want to give too much away but there is much joy and sadness in this book. Just look at the cover. See how hauntingly beautiful Sunny is and read her and Keo's story.

I will not recount the story; the other reviewers do it, and for my money, the story is marvelous. Like so many, I did not want this book to end, and rationed reading it for that reason. I cannot think of any other writer I have ever read who can capture in concrete, substantial, palpable images abstractions like jazz, or pain, or love, or wistfulness. The visuals her words sculpt are staggering. Hardly essential to an appreciation of this magnificent work, if you have lived in Hawaii, ever had an appreciation of either or both of its indigenous and diverse cultures, been entranced by music, felt the power and mystery of natural things, it will resonate with you on innumerable levels. You will learn a fair amount of Hawaiian along the way if you care to, and you should, as it is a beautiful and evocative and incredibly musical language. The book is more than poetry--it is, in many ways, a great mele. It speaks of essences, of life's value, its challenges, its losses, its pain. There are parts as profound and compact in that as any philosophy one could want (the small chapterlet recounting Malia's last visit with Pono may be the best piece of writing in that regard I have ever read). The political material through the book is, if you read closely, not polemical, but balanced if with a clear but hardly simplistic preference. And on a societal level, it is a magnificent paean to the power of women, especially their power over men, wanted or not, and the consequences, marvelous and horrific, of that power. If you are a woman, or you truly love them as I do, you will hold this book fiercely to your heart. Those who say Ms. Davenport embraced too much in too complex a way--with which I totally disagree--would probably say the same of Thomas Wolfe, whose prose at times hers resembles, several of whose works I number among my favorites in the language. I would rate this book higher than any I have reviewed on Amazon to date, and among the best novels I have ever read--and I have read thousands.

The idea of the book is great : let's look at information overload (to much supply) from the human side as "attention deficit" (not enough time and focus on every "relevant" bite of information): we as humans and organizations have less and less the ability to "focus" on the information we receive. Let's work on how to repair this !

It should be obvious for any executive that this situation occurs everywhere today even though the diagnostic and recommendations are differents : delegation, Key performances indicators (let's focus on these and forget the rest), time management, etc, ...

The point is that before the books goes in the implications of attention management (from ch. 8), you read more than half of the book. In the meantime, you learn great thinks about the bioligical reactions of apes, basic stuff about e-commerce techniques, and various other subjects.

The book use an original packaging inside (eyes catching tricks) but more attention on the sequence of the book would have provided a roadmap that distinguishes academic readers and attention deficit victims (as myself).

I read most of Tom Davenport books and found them excellent but this one deserve an "improved edition" to allow the reader to grab the key issues before he is bored !

This is a fascinating subject: ADD in the business world. Almost everyone continues to experience information overload. Some who have studied this phenomenon invoke metaphors such as "blizzards" of data. Meanwhile, information providers struggle to get through "blizzards" to reach those who are most important to them. How to attract their attention? Then, how to capture that attention with what has been described as "stickiness"? After conducting an extensive research project, Davenport and Beck conclude that attention is "the new currency of business." Perhaps Wolf agrees, having written a brilliant book about "the entertainment economy"; perhaps Pine and Gilmore also agree, having written a book about "the experience economy."

At the beginning of most of his plays, Shakespeare uses various devices to attract an audience's attention so that its members could then be entertained. (The play Hamlet begins with a question "Who's there?" The audience settles down, curious to learn the answer.) In today's marketplace, merchants such as Starbucks and Williams-Sonoma do everything possible (and appropriate) to attract attention by appealing to several of the senses. (The fragrant aroma of Starbucks' gourmet coffee can be experienced by many of those in the bookstore nearby.) Especially now with so many people online, there is what so many have observed as "too much information" or at least "not enough time" to absorb and digest the information available.

Davenport and Beck organize their material within 12 chapters which range from "A New Perspective on Business (Welcome to the Attention Economy)" to "From Myopia to Utopia (The Future of the Attention Economy)." They explain why understanding and managing attention is now the single most important determinant of business success. They examine with rigor and eloquence three different types of "attention technologies": attention-getting, attention-structuring, and attention-protecting. They explain why companies will no longer be proud of how extensive their knowledge portals are, but rather of how targeted an information environment they create. (Davenport and Beck fully understand that "targets" are constantly moving; also, that the prioritization of "targets" is an on-going process to accommodate change.) Throughout the book, they also insert dozens of "Principles." Here are three examples:

"Types Principle: Six basic units of currency are exchanged in an attention market, each emphasizing a specific target of focused mental engagement."

NOTE: These "basic units" are Captive and Voluntary, Aversive and Attractive, and finally, Front-of-Mind and Back-of-Mind. They are discussed in detail in Chapter 2, one of the book's most thought-provoking chapters.

"Tap or Bottle Principle: The most important function of attention isn't taking information in, but screening it out."

"Action! Principle: Hollywood studio executives understand their audience before they make a play for their attention, and they manipulate setting, segmentation, and culture to hold onto it."

The authors suggest that the trend of more information competing for less attention cannot go on forever. "Ultimately, people will begin to withdraw from the stress of an attention-devouring world, and information providers will begin to focus on quality, not quantity." Each delivery day, I immediately toss (unopened) all unwanted items in the U.S. mail; I systematically delete (unread) all unwanted e-mail messages, and politely but quickly end all telephone solicitations. Everyone I know responds the same way in these situations. Davenport and Beck conclude their brilliant book noting "In the end, the greatest prize for being able to capture attention will be the freedom to avoid it." Many (most?) information providers will continue to waste truly valuable "currency" unless and until they become insolvent or until they finally understand the basic principles of "the attention economy." Davenport and Beck wrote the book for them but also for other information providers who can increase even more the ROI on the same "new currency."

Everyone knows how important attention is, but few business thinkers have had the courage or follow-through and take on the topic in a management-focused way before. I expected the book to focus more on advertising and Hollywood. Thankfully it didn't. The book's freshness and originality lies in the fact that it shows the relationship between attention and business to be far more extensive than just found in those "attention industries." On that note, the chapters on leadership and organizational structure were particularly fresh.

Davenport has a knack for forecasting where business is going; he was a pioneer in the Reengineering and Knowledge Management trends. In predicting and setting the direction of both of these, he had a keen sense for the "human side" of things. This is the case here as well: in AE he starts with that uniquely human activity-attention-and shows how it can be managed for success in the business world.

The classic game of cat and mouse is an evergreen of the mystery genre, and few practice it better than John Sandford and his creation, Minneapolis police detective Lucas Davenport. This is ably demonstrated in the sixth book in the Prey series, "Night Prey."

Davenport, hired back by the new police chief to investigate their toughest cases, is pursuing one of the most violent killers he's ever encountered. The unknown perpetrator commits acts of extreme brutality against women, murdering with incredible force and viciousness.

As always, Sandford keeps the plot interesting and the action swift, leading us through the investigation along with Davenport as he unravels the Gordian knot of clues and evidence. At the same time, the author gives us the killer's viewpoint, showing us a glimpse of his twisted mind. Sandford excels at this type of parallel storytelling, upping the urgency of Lucas catching the nutcase before he kills again.

If you haven't yet had the joy of reading this excellent series, I recommend you start with the first book ("Rules of Prey") and enjoy some of the best writing in the genre.

Don't read this book!

If you're reading this, I assume you haven't read the series up to Night Prey. If you had, you wouldn't waste your time reading reviews. There would be no question. There would be no hesitation. You'd be reading Night Prey.

So since you haven't read the series to this point, start at Rules of Prey. Follow with Shadow Prey, Eyes of Prey, Silent Prey, and Winter Prey. Then it's time for this.

Night Prey is a solid addition to the series to this point. While it doesn't quite stand up to the level of excellence established in the preceding three volumes, it's still a compelling story with memorable characters. And while the main story is one of pure suspense, with any real element of mystery sacrificed to study the villain, Sandford weaves in a subplot which is classic "locked door" (as another reviewer puts it). It's nicely done.

A question for those who've read the book : If SSA is backwards, is SJ as well? What's the author's name?

This was the third book from the Davenport series that I have read and easily the best. I liked the feeling of impending doom with the main characters racing against time to catch the killer before he can strike again and before one of the investigators dies of cancer. The eventual solution of this pending collision caught me by surprise. And, in case this wasn't enough, Sandford threw in a locked room murder mystery as a clever subplot. If anyone in Hollywood ever wants to bring a Lucas Davenport thriller to the screen, this would be a good one to start with.

As with many other countries, Lonely Planet has a very good guide for Ireland. Every city, town, and village are covered in this book. No matter where we were, we could always find something on the location. The index is wonderfully useful for that purpose. There are also some suggested itineraries. My only criticism is that LP seems to have missed many of the excellent guesthouses in Ireland. I would think this should be LP's speciality, so found this aspect disappointing. Still, I would not leave home without LP, on this trip or any other for that matter. Even if you don't want to go the budget route --something many associate with LP -- you will gain from the descriptions of places, restaurant and pub recommendations, maps, history, and more. And despite its reputation, LP does list high-end hotels, castles, and the like. I haven't found a single excellent guide for Ireland, so I suggest doing some internet research before leaving and taking LP and at least one other guide (I like the Blue Guide series).

Bon voyage!!

I just returned from a three month bike tour of Ireland. I had no tour guide; I brought only myself, my bicycle, clothes (of course), and four guide books on Ireland. The one book that I used over and over again, leaving all others tucked abandoned within my pack, was the Lonely Planet guide. The LP guide has detailed chapters on anything and everthing in Ireland, including phone numbers, prices, hours, city maps, hostels, B&B's, hotels etc... It also includes history and facts so that when you do arrive in Ireland and see a castle or a dolmen or the Burren, you will know the story behind it. I can't say enough good things about this guide. If you are going to travel in Ireland, this book is a must!

The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe and spring 2000 in ireland. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

The same experience is true for my trip this last spring to Ireland. Lonely Planet Ireland is as good as Western Europe, but more detailed.The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe - poor, but free. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

Winter Prey is suspenseful and tense. The setting is rural Wisconsin at 20° below. The hero is the likable Lucas Davenport, who gets pulled into solving the murders of the LaCourt family by the small-time county sheriff, an inexperienced, near retirement, sometimes pathetic, but mostly sympathetic character. While the dialog was sometimes less than impressive, the story was action-packed. A real plus--there was never a moment before revealing the murderer that I even thought I knew who it was. The Iceman is a real surprise, not only because of the twists in the story, but also because you're not given enough information to suspect him. I plan to read more John Sandford after this, mostly for the character Lucas Davenport. I only hope they don't have such corny, awkwardly written love affairs as the one in this book with medical examiner Weather Karkinnen.

Lucas Davenport ain't never going to be Harry Bosch, but he's a good enough morally ambivalent character that you care about what he does and why he does it. Of the Prey series, this is a standout for its plot about ugly sexual behavior in the sticks and for its detailed evocation of Minnesota in the dead (no pun intended) of winter. Mystery aficionados already know this book, and they'll tell you that another great thing about it is that Sandford plays fair with the plot. Things get strange, but there's a logical thread throughout. Superior reading for long-distance air travel.

Winter Prey is the first book I have read by John Sandford. I wish I had found him before now. The book was great. I was in a trance the whole time, just living in my mind what he had written. Lucas Davenport was a great character. I cannot say enough good things about him or Shelly Carr, or the good lady Doctor and of course the Iceman. The book was well written, held my attention and was believeable. Parker or Connelly were my favorite authors until now. I would hate to choose between the three mystery writers. I hope his other books are as good.

This might be the best novel Sanford has written. Naked Prey has an intricately complex yet totally believable plot that will keep you transfixed until the last word of the last page.

Lucas Davenport, law enforcer, becomes more appealing with age as his subtlety and humanity evolve. Lucas' stability with his new family life is about to enter another dimension of eye-opening malevolence. Where one explosive crime scene ends, another mystery begins.

Letty West is a shrewd, self-sufficient young girl who is the most charming and beguiling character Sanford has yet created. Lucas is sure her discerning recall will help to solve the puzzle. Letty's character would provide added twists to future Sanford novels.

A fascinating side story concerning a national problem unfolds through a charitable smuggling ring for legal drugs to be given to the poor who have fatal diseases, and a brief discourse on pages 256-259 and page 357 featuring references to drug prices in the U.S. and Canada.

Naked Prey is an absolute read for mystery enthusiasts!

with another entry in his fine "Prey" series, a group of books centered on Lucas Davenport, "the richest cop in Minnesota" (rich because he also designs video games).

Sandford set the stage for change at the conclusion of his last book, letting the reader percolate on what would be the differences in Lucas when he becomes an active father, and when he leaves the police department for a quasi-bureaucratic governmental position in a new state department headed by his old boss, Rose Marie Roux. Wisely, although Sandford went forward with these changes, the impact was streamlined by having 90% of the book's action happen in rural northern Minnesota, in the fictional small town of Broderick. Family man Lucas still has his best sidekick, Del, gainfully employed with him -- and married or not, he still can spot and appreciate a great looking woman. Some things never change!

The first two murders may be motivated by racial hatred - one victim is black, and his significant other is white...they are found brutally slain and hanging from a barren tree in the frosty Minnesota winter. There's so much odd and unusual "stuff" going on in Broderick, it's difficult for Lucas & Del to pin down the any information about the murders, and the killings continue.

Sandford manages to deftly interweave his social viewpoints -- his lack of respect for the media, his vague unsettlement with the way that federal, state and local authorities sometimes impede each other to solve a case that has generated media attention, and most importantly, his support of a little known grass roots campaign that is quietly smuggling prescription drugs from Canada to US patients who need and can't afford them.
Unlike many other writers of this genre, Sandford can keep both his tale of the crime and his social commentary moving in the same direction -- one does not eclipse or slow down the other.

The book is also notable in that it provides a lot of insight into tribal casinos...a staple of the Minnesota scenery in the last decade. Tribal casinos have changed rural Minnesota in many ways, and Sandford captures this contrast of big city activity with the rural tundra.

The prize of the novel, as many readers have commented, is new character Letty West, who will doubtless appear in future instalments. A precocious 12-year old, Letty's like many rural kids that come from dysfunctional single parent families....in the cities, kids from these homes tend to run with gangs...in the country, they tend to be loners, with old souls. Letty is such a character, and she's the best addition to the series in a long time.

This may not be the finest of Sandford's series, but its darn close! Don't wait for the paperback!

Lucas Davenport is back in John Sandford's continuing series, and fans of the detective won't be disappointed. Davenport now works for a Minnesota state agency, the BCA, under Rose, his old superior from the Minneapolis police department. A murder scene that resembles a lynching is enough to bring in Davenport and his partner Del to invesigate and clean up before a major political crisis can begin. The murder scene is discovered by a very unusual 12 year old girl, Letty West, who talks and acts many years her senior. Davenport enlists Letty's help in his investigation, which revolves around the hanging murders, multiple kidnappings, a car theft ring, and drug smuggling. The individual crimes are linked through several threads that are not apparent at first to Davenport or the several law enforcement groups he is working with on the case.

Davenport's domestic scenes with his wife Weather are kept to a minimum in this yarn, with almost all of the action focused on the crimes. Letty West takes center stage, and she proves more than a match for Davenport. She traps muskrats, totes a rifle, drives pickups, swears a lot, and helps pick up the pace of the book whenever she appears (which is often). There is strong rapport between Davenport and Letty, and the foundations are set for the making of a good team in future editions of the series.

I don't want to start out by saying I was disappointed by this book in the "Prey" series, however, after "Eyes of Prey", reading "Silent Prey" was a bit of a let-down. The amount of characters was a bit confusing in the beginning (I couldn't tell who was going to be "important" and who was just a "filler"). Also, the author seemed to jump around with the story line. Towards the end, the characters balanced themselves out and the story was wrapped up nicely. Having just discovered the "Prey" series, I will definitely continued to read along in order.

The best to date in John Sandford's "Prey" series! Lucas Davenport's original nemesis, Dr. Michael Bekker, is back after escaping from custody and is back to his old tricks! Sandford's ability to keep his books in your hands (I took it to work with me one day!) never falters. I was actually disappointed when the book ended; I wanted to read more! I'm a big fan of the "Prey" series anyway, but I'd recommend this one to any mystery fan. A word of warning: if you buy this one, you may as well buy the rest of the series. You'll be back at the bookstore within the week!

A killer from one of Sandford's earlier books, Eyes of Prey, escapes. He's quickly back in business and isn't easy to find. Silent Prey brings the reader and Minneapolis Police Investigator, Lucas Davenport, to New York City in the hopes of finding serial killer Michael Becker. While there, Davenport is also asked to look into some serious police corruption within the department. An exciting addition to the Lucas Davenport series. Read Eyes of Prey first and follow it up with Silent Prey.

Davenport presented his experience and opinion in one medium-size book (300 pages), covered almost every aspects of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which he called it Enterprise System (ES). This book is intended for both practitioners and students, and I found it serves its objectives. Starting with the definition, advantages/disadvantages, implementation, strategic integration, Information Technology (IT), business process, managing Supply Chain with ERP, and future of ERP in organization. The topics are the most popular questions in ERP decision, implementation, and continuous improvement. I would rate this book at five stars; however, there are something that I put four stars for this book -as follows: 1) Although the topics are hot and referred to many business cases, the organization of each chapter is terrible. I got lost several times in chapter or between chapters. 2) Each chapter referes back-and-forth to other chapters, which is quite useful for further reference. I, however, found they are too many referals. Again, this makes almost every chapters are not much different than others. Except for the book organization, this book is quite good for its content. I wish Davenport may consider to re-organize the second edition of this book or his new book. His knowledge in this area is exceptional, only it's required lots of organized. This book offers many excellent points of "after-ERP", which is rarely found in most ERP books. Good but not great book. Therefore, this is not the single book if you plan to get only one. You may consider O'Leary's book (ISBN 0521791529) or Brady et al. (ISBN 0619015934), if you are new to ERP and get Davenport's book for supplement.

A very good read for managers and implementors who are ready to embark on an ERP installation. Chapters are logically organised, although I am holding back the last star because of the way Davenport has organised the content within chapters. You won't really notice it if you are reading the book back-to-back, but it's quite obvious when you try making notes from chapters. Sometimes, bits of information are scattered across sections in chapters.

There are important topics on creating benefits in the installation, and how to avoid failures. In particular, I felt the sections on how an ERP installation affects competitive strategy, organisational structure and culture very impressive; it's hard to find such stuff so well-written in many books.

The sections on pre-, during, and post-implementation issues are interesting read and I feel complemented Daniel O'Leary's "Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Systems, Life Cycles, Electronic Commerce and Risk" 2000, Cambridge University Press very well. The interested reader should read both sections from both books. :)

Davenport does a brilliant job of explaining what enterprise systems are and what they can accomplish in any organization. He suggests, however, that they are worthless "unless they lead to better information or better ways of doing business. I think that enterprise systems are without doubt an impressive technical feat, but I am primarily concerned that organizations get business value from them." Throughout his book, he addresses key issues such as these:

1. What enterprise systems are and why they are important

2. The promise and the perils involved

3. How to decide whether or not to implement enterprise systems

4. How to integrate enterprise systems with strategy and organizational structure

5. How to integrate enterprise systems with business processes and information

6. How to achieve value while implementing enterprise systems

7. How to transform the practice of management with enterprise systems

8. How to use enterprise systems to manage the supply chain

9. The future of ES-enabled organizations

As Davenport explains in Chapter 1, "Enterprise systems offer the first great opportunity to achieve true connectivity, a state in which everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the business all over the world at the same time. And because they represent the first great opportunity for connectivity, they pose one of the greatest threats to the status quo that companies have ever faced." Hence the importance of one of the the book's most valuable sections, the Appendix, in which Davenport provides "A Technical Overview of Enterprise Systems." Those who feel threatened by an enterprise system will seize any and all opportunities to point out its technical flaws. At best, enterprise systems are complex, difficult to install, and inflexible. However, Davenport points out, they "will remain the most capable, integrated systems in the history of the world. They may have their flaws, but they are also the answer to our information systems prayers." I agree.

Having been born and raised in Hawaii I was familiar with Hawaii's history and culture before I read this novel. I would have to agree with many of the previous reviewers that Shark Dialogues does not always represent accurate historical fiction. And I would also agree with those that said that the book sometimes loses its focus and occasionally delves into extreme political activism.

That said, Shark Dialogues is still a wonderful read. You can feel author Kiana Davenport's passion for her Hawaiian heritage which is so strongly reflected in Pono, the powerfully haunting and mystical central character. And you can sense the great beauty of ancient Hawaii through Ms. Davenport's wonderfully rich descriptions of the islands, its valleys and its people.

Shark Dialogues is a saga of a culturally changing Hawaii told through a daughter of a Tahitian chief in the late 1830's through Pono through her four granddaughters and through the pearls that connect them all. Historically accurate? No. A wonderful read? Yes.

"'SAILORS, LEPERS, OPIUM, SPIES--with such a family history, how could we be anyt'ing but sluts?' Dese Jess's last words to her grandmot'er, Pono. Dat night Pono walk into da sea." Thus, begins this wonderful book of story, saga and myth.

As I read Shark Dialogues I grew to understand the power and sacredness of the Hawaiian Islands. Also the complexities of the people who have inhabited them. Complexities presented to us with complex and well defined characters -- Women characters! It was so nice to delve into powerful women characters. Beginning with Kelonikoa, a Tahitian princess on the run in the 1800's. From Kelonikoa came a pouch of black pearls, a diary, and a heritage of strong, tenacious women. Her daughter Emma, Emma's daughter Lili, Lili's daughter Pono, and Pono's daughters and grandaughters.

Pono, the most powerful, like the sea. Pono, who could dream-see and swim with sharks. Pono, who could be so cruel. Pono, who scared everyone, especially her grandaughter's Jess, Vanya, Ming and Rachel, all the fruit of this woman.

This book beautifully shows the continuous cycle and circle of life, as we repeat our ancestors as ourselves. Here, as mothers struggle to love and raise their daughters, and as women seek the same over and over, in their lives, their love and their men. Shark Dialogues is personal, political, historical and magical.

Written by a woman of Hawaiian descent who clearly loves her people, this family saga is the story of Hawaii itself. The central character is the matriarch Pono, whose life includes harsh realities and surreal myths. Her long and passionate love for her husband Duke has caused her great joy, but the situations they had to face together have required strength and courage.

Pono's four adult granddaughters, each born of a different mixed blood heritage and who now live in various parts of the world, come back to Hawaii to visit, forcing them all to come to terms backgrounds.

Their stories are all revealed though flashbacks, going all the way back through seven generations, mixing history with myth in a wonderful array of unforgettable characters. I'll never forget the story of life in a leper colony, or of life on a plantation. I'll long remember the mythical quality of the sea and its ability to both nourish and destroy. There's life and death and passion and joy. There's war and peace and destruction by both human greed and natural forces.

At 480 pages, this is a book to sink into and look forward to reading at the end of the day. A book that brings the story of Hawaii alive to the reader and a fresh retelling of truths and legends

Tales from Shakespeare was one of the few books that attracted me by its title. I've heard a lot about William Shakespeare, however, I never really got to listen or read his stories. I think they're really special because everyone knows who he is and they say his stories are wonderful.
In this book, there are many, many stories, so I decided to read two of them I was interested in: ¡¥The Tempest¡¦ and ¡¥A Midsummer Night's Dream¡¦. But I'll only tell you about The Tempest.
The Tempest was the first story of the book. It was about a man and his daughter, Miranda, a young girl living on an island with spirits, and no other humans. However, before they decided to side there, there lived before them, a witch name Sycorax. She prisoned all the good spirits, including the leader, Ariel. When Miranda's father decided to side on the island, he defeated Sycorax, and Ariel, as the head of all good spirits promised to serve Miranda's father in any way he can.
As Miranda grew older, she became more beautiful. Her father thought that it was time for her to get married. He sent Ariel to carry Fernando, a prince to marry his daughter. At first, he was so angry at Miranda's father for doing such a thing, but once he saw Miranda, he decided to marry her. As they were getting married, Miranda's father had some revenge on his brother.
What I like about this book is that, Shakespeare has a lot of good ideas.
What I dislike about this book, is that, his stories are too confusing for me to understand. And every time I finish a story, I don't see the point of it.
But I really enjoy reading his stories though.

I read this book as a child; my mother gave it to me and my brother before we went to see the plays. It was an excellent introduction to the plays and to the world of Shakespeare, and helped me understand what I was watching. I also enjoyed reading the stories themselves, and familiarized myself with Shakespeare this way. It made a huge difference, as became quite clear to me when we read Henry IV in ninth grade in school, a play for which I had no Lamb version. I didn't understand that play and took no pleasure in it, whereas I did enjoy much harder plays (e.g., Othello, A Winter's Tale, etc.) that I had the Lambs' help with. Depending on reading level, the Lambs' book would be appropriate for anyone from seven or eight to 13 or 14 years old.

I read this book as a child of eight (back in 1970). It was a gift from my scientist father (an avid Shakespeare fan) as an introduction to Shakespeare.

The book served its purpose very well and I have now given it to my sons aged 7 and 9 who have found it extremely enjoyable. The best part of this book is the way it weaves a rich tapestry in layman's language without the confusing and often ambiguous old English of the original transcripts.

Lamb's Tales makes an excellent primer for those going to see the plays in traditional old English. The book allows all the complex plot elements and characters to be understood and spotted in the live play. The prose format allows the reader to conjure up the images and situations more readily than if struggling with the poetry.

I heartily recommend this book to all ages.